Dry Conditions Causing Issues For Area Farmers

The dry and hot weather has caused some issues for area farmers.

Jason Garrett is an agriculture agent for the Overton County U.T. Extension Office. He said the grounds have become burnt up, forcing farmers to use hay earlier than usual.

“If a farmer has to start feeding hay around the first of October, that’s a month and a half of the hay that he’s got saved up for February, March, and the first of April,” Garrett said. “That’s really going to hurt farmers…if we don’t get some rain soon to promote the cool season grasses.”

In addition, the lack of rain has toughened up the ground, making it harder for the farmers to plant forage for next spring.

Many ponds have also dried up across the region. Garrett said one farmer in Overton County is having to transport water during the current drought conditions.

“A lot of farmers here are on automatic waters that are fed through the City of Livingston and other water districts in the county,” Garrett said. “That’s how the water is fed to most of the farms, but it could get very bad and they could go into a restriction and cut back water to the farms.”

Long periods of dry conditions can also cause livestock to eat harmful plants. Garrett said producers in Putnam and Jackson County lost multiple cows from the Perilla Mint Weed.

“That is a weed that can be toxic if consumed in high doses,” Garrett said. “That usually happens when there is nothing else to eat in the fields besides weeds. [dry weather] can promote the cattle to eat things they don’t like. If a farmer is experiencing drought conditions, it’s important that they start feeding hay to keep livestock from eating toxic weeds.”

Garrett said farmer’s don’t have many options to alleviate the current situation. To help conserve hay, he recommends feeding hay rings and trying rotational grazing.